July 5, 1954. The breakthrough
recording is Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s That’s All Right.
This song, backed with Blue Moon of Kentucky becomes the
first of five singles Elvis will release on the Sun label.

July 30, 1954 Elvis makes his
appearance at the Overton Park Shell in Memphis.

October 16, 1954. Elvis' first
appearance on the Louisiana Hayride, a popular country radio show out of
Shreveport LA.

In August of 1955, Colonel Tom Parker
replaces Bob Neal as Elvis' manager.

By November of 1955, Elvis has signed
the now famous RCA contract. The price is an unprecedented $40,000, with a
$5,000 bonus for Elvis. RCA soon re-releases the five Sun singles on the
RCA label.

In January of 1956
Elvis is paired with the Jordanaires, who would remain his main back-up
group until the late 60s.

January 27, 1956. Heartbreak
Hotel is released. (I Was the One on the flip). It
sells 300,000 copies in the first week and will ultimately be Elvis' first
Gold Record by selling over a million.

Between January 28 and March 24 of 1956
Elvis will make 6 appearances on the Jackie Gleason-produced Stage Show,
starring Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey on CBS.

On March 13 of that same year,
Elvis Presley, his first album is released by RCA. Selling over a
million, it will become his first Gold Album.

April of 1956. Elvis appears with
Milton Berle. He sings Heartbreak Hotel and Blue Suede
Shoes.

April 1956, he signs a seven-year movie
contract with Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures.

June 5, 1956.
This is the highly controversial and very sexy performance of Hound
Dog on Milton Berle. Also, I Want You, I Need You, I Love
You.

In July he does a parody of that sketch
on Steve Allen's show by singing to a real Bassett hound. Elvis' ain't
happy about it - but he does it. His success on Berle and Allen prompt the
previously reluctant Ed Sullivan to sign a three appearance deal for
$50,000 - an unheard of amount back then.

August 10 and 11 1956. Elvis appears at
the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL. Juvenile Court Judge Marion
Gooding attended the first concert to see if all the fuss was warranted.
After watching Elvis' jiggle, he asked that the show be toned down. So
Elvis only wiggled his little finger as a mild protest.

September 9, 1956 - the first Sullivan
show. Charles Laughton subs for an ailing Sullivan. Presley sings
Don't Be Cruel, Love Me Tender, Ready Teddy, and Hound Dog.
October 28th is the second show and the songs are Don't Be Cruel,
Love Me Tender, Love Me and Hound Dog.

November 16, 1956. Elvis' first movie,
Love Me Tender premieres.

January 6, 1957. The "waist up only"
Sullivan show. He does a medley, plus Don't Be Cruel, Too Much, When
My Blue Moon Turns to Gold and then closes with Peace in the
Valley.

January 1957.Elvis begins filming his
second movie, Loving You. Actress Jana Lund will give Elvis
his first screen kiss in this movie which will produce the hit,
Teddy Bear.

Graceland is purchased in March of
1957.

Jailhouse Rock begins
filming in May of 1957.

Elvis' draft notice arrives December of
1957.

In the early part of
1958 Elvis works on his fourth motion picture, King Creole.

March 1958. Elvis Presley is inducted
into the U.S. Army at the Memphis Draft Board and is assigned serial
number 53310761. Pvt. Presley goes to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training
and is stationed there for six months.

Gladys Presley dies on August 14 of
1958 of acute hepatitis. Elvis is able to get back to see her before she
dies.

In September of 1958, Elvis boards the
USS. Randall and sails to Germany, arriving on October 1. He will be
stationed in Friedberg for 18 months, maintaining an off-base residence in
Bad Nauheim.

Elvis first meets Priscilla Beaulieu
(05/24/45) in November of 1959. She is the only child of a Navy pilot,
Jack Wagner, who was killed in a plane crash when Priscilla was an infant.
Her mother Ann had remarried to Captain Joseph Beaulieu.